Bill Text: CA SR51 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Relative to immigration

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-23 - Amended. Senate Rule 29.3 suspended. (Page 4049.) Read. Adopted. (Ayes 24. Noes 7. Page 4051.) [SR51 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SR51-Enrolled.html

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BILL NUMBER: SR 51	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	ADOPTED IN SENATE  JUNE 23, 2014
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  FEBRUARY 19, 1950
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 23, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Lara and De León

                        JUNE 17, 2014

   Relative to immigration


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, California's prosperity is intimately tied to the
tenacity, innovativeness, and diversity of its people; and
   WHEREAS, The state has made tremendous progress in recent years in
recognizing undocumented immigrants as valued members of society by
enacting laws that promote the safety and livelihood of immigrant
families, including passage of the California DREAM Act, the TRUST
Act, and the Safe and Responsible Drivers Act; and
   WHEREAS, In 1994, exactly 20 years ago, the voters of California
approved Proposition 187, now considered one of the most
controversial measures in California's ballot history; and
   WHEREAS, Although the vast majority of the measure was eventually
found to be unconstitutional and unenforceable by the federal courts,
its introduction and approval devastated immigrant communities
throughout California, pushing undocumented people further into the
shadows and spreading rampant fear of public officials and police;
and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 187 is just one example of a long and
troubled history of targeting and blaming a group of people for
societal and economic hardships in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, Throughout our history immigrants have had to confront
hostile environments despite their contributions to our economy; and
   WHEREAS, The late 19th century was marked by a series of efforts
to explicitly limit Chinese migration to the United States,
particularly to California. Although Chinese immigrants provided a
needed workforce for the development of the West, including
construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, growing anti-Chinese
sentiments fomented fears that mass Chinese immigration would
threaten American wages and standards of living; and
   WHEREAS, These attitudes led to the passage of discriminatory
laws. A new California Constitution in 1879 explicitly banned
individuals of Chinese descent from public and corporate employment
and authorized the state government to determine which individuals
would be allowed to reside in the state; and
   WHEREAS, Following California's lead, Congress and President
Chester A. Arthur approved the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 to
completely restrict Chinese immigration; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 14 was approved in 1964 to counteract the
effects of the Rumford Fair Housing Act, which prohibited housing
discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, sex, marital status,
physical handicap, or familial status. It was also held
unconstitutional on the basis that it violated the Equal Protection
Clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
   WHEREAS, Voters approved Proposition 21, which would have repealed
a state law that required the racial integration of schools and was
ultimately declared unconstitutional by the courts because it stood
in direct violation of the precedent set by Brown v. the Board of
Education; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 187 is the most recent modern example of
California's troubled history and relationship with minorities and
immigrants; and
   WHEREAS, Governor Pete Wilson championed Proposition 187 as a part
of his reelection in 1994, pursuing a scathing campaign against
undocumented parents and their children; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 187 would have specifically barred the
children of undocumented immigrants from attending public schools,
required every school district to verify the legal status of every
child and parent, prohibited colleges and universities from accepting
undocumented students, and prohibited public agencies and publicly
funded health care facilities from providing services to immigrants
suspected of being undocumented; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 187 would have required teachers, doctors,
social workers, and law enforcement personnel to verify the
immigration status of families and report to the former Immigration
and Naturalization Service any individual reasonably suspected of
being illegally present in the United States, thereby turning
civilians into immigration agents; and
   WHEREAS, Proposition 187 served as the unfortunate precedent for
the draconian laws recently adopted in Arizona (SB 1070) and Alabama
(HB 56); and
   WHEREAS, As a society, we have learned time and time again that
discrimination against minorities ultimately does not benefit anyone,
but rather hurts our economy and creates social dissonance; and
   WHEREAS, That, after 20 years, the Legislature expressly
acknowledges the harm caused to Californians through passage of
Proposition 187 and its corresponding campaign. Its passage serves as
a lesson as the Legislature moves forward to provide for the
well-being of all Californians, regardless of their immigration
status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or
socioeconomic position; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
recognizes June 23, 2014, the date marking the 20th anniversary of
the qualification of Proposition 187 for the November 1994 ballot, as
a day to celebrate California's diversity and a united future; and
be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.